Conveyor belts are used to move materials in a wide variety of industries and environments. Some such conveyor belts are used, for example, in moving ore within a mine, gravel or rocks within a quarry, and in a variety of industrial applications where bulk materials are moved.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art conveyor. The conveyor includes a conveyor framework 2 which may be made, for example, using channel, angle-iron, trusswork, or a variety of other configurations. A conveyor belt 4 is supported by support idler frames 6 which include a number of support idler rollers 8. Driving force may be applied by any number of methods/apparatuses, including, for example, creating a turning force at the rollers shown on the end of the framework 2, or by application of force using magnets on the conveyor belt 4 itself which interact with stators placed relative the edges of the conveyor belt 4.
FIG. 2 shows a closer, cut-away view of a prior art conveyor, highlighting the conveyor belt 4, idler support 6, and idler rollers 8. As shown, the idler rollers 8 are angled with respect to one another such that the conveyor belt 4 forms a trough in which a material to be conveyed rests during transport. The idler supports 6 are secured relative the conveyor framework 2. There is a slight sag between the rollers 8, and it can be seen that the conveyor belt 4 does not pass smoothly over the rollers 8, instead being shaped thereby with slight angular form.
The conveyor belt 4 is typically constructed as a relatively flat, flexible member having a first end and a second end, where the ends are secured together to create a loop by the use of a securing apparatus. In a simplest form, the conveyor belt 4 has two ends coupled together by interacting teeth or interleaved loops, where a wire, for example, is passed through the interleaved loops to secure the first end of the conveyor belt 4 to the second end of the conveyor belt 4. Other forms, such as vulcanized “endless” belts may also be used. Any number of individual sections may be pieced together in this or another suitable manner to build the conveyor belt 4.
One of the limitations of such prior art conveyor support designs is that the supportive force of the rollers 8 causes localized strain on the conveyor belt 4, wearing the conveyor belt 4. Further, the rollers 8 are subject to wear and degradation, and require periodic replacement. The rollers 8 include internal bearings that occasionally wear out, and with the large number of moving parts, the overall system is subject to failure in harsh environments.